This invention relates generally to waterbeds and more particularly concerns a rake for removing air bubbles trapped inside a waterbed mattress.
Over a period of time air separates from the water in a waterbed mattress and forms large, bubbles which are trapped between the water surface and the top layer of the mattress. Several devices have been devised for removing these bubbles from the mattress. They include rollers which extend the width of the bed so that the bubbles can be forced from one end of the bed to the other. Smaller rollers are then used in a direction transverse to the large roller so as to pinch the bubbles to the vent in the top of the waterbed mattress. These devices are generally clumsy and require more than one person for their operation. When properly operated, the bubbles are broken and distributed across the width of the bed and have to be recollected into a central location. These multiple operations generally result in portions of the collected bubbles escaping the confines of the longer roller while the smaller rollers are being manipulated, thus requiring a repetition of the task. A smaller more manipulable device in the form of a straight edge paddle has been devised so that a single person can manipulate a bubble by the application of force at the edge of the paddle. However, the bubbles easily escape the limited confines of the paddle edge and are very difficult to direct along the shortest path to the vent.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a rake which facilitates moving of a bubble in a waterbed mattress to a mattress vent to be exhausted to the atmosphere. It is also an object of this invention to provide a rake which traps an air bubble in a limited geometric area for movement therewith to the mattress vent. Another object of this invention is to provide a rake which holds the bubble in a unified condition, rather than causes the bubble to be broken and dispersed. Yet another object of this invention is to confine a bubble within a geometric area that is readily directable to the mattress vent along the shortest path between the bubble and the vent. Still another object of this invention is to provide a rake which allows a single user to simultaneously apply a downward trapping force and a lateral moving force without the bubble or any portion thereof escaping from the rake.
In accordance with the invention, a rake for moving an air bubble entrapped between the surface of the water in and the underside of the top of a waterbed mattress to a vent through the top of the mattress is provided consisting of an elongated member and a handle. The elongated member extends between spaced apart beginning and end points and has a lower surface lying in substantially a single plane. A straight line connecting the beginning and end points defines a geometric area for surrounding the bubble. Alternatively, the beginning and end points of the elongated member may be joined to form a continuous member.
The handle has one end connected to the member and another end extending above the plane defined by the lower surface of the member. The handle is used for manually urging the member downwardly against an upper side of the top of the mattress to trap the bubble within the geometric area. The handle is also used for guiding the geometric area with the bubble trapped therein into communication with the vent so that the air can be released to the atmosphere.
Preferably, a line extending from one end of the handle to the other is substantially perpendicular to the straight line between the member beginning and end points so as to facilitate the directing of the bubble with minimum opportunity for the bubble to escape the geometric area.
In one preferred set of embodiments, this member consists of a plurality of linear submembers connected in end to end relationship by a plurality of elbows therebetween. In these embodiments, the geometric area may be trapezoidal, rectangular, triangular or of other desired configuration. Preferably, in a trapezoidal configuration, the trapezoid will be symmetrical and the handle perpendicularly connected to the center of the shorter of its parallel sides with the straight line being the longer of the parallel sides. This trapezoid will also preferably have acute angles in a range of approximately 45 degrees. In the rectangular configuration, the handle preferably will be perpendicularly connected to the center of the side opposite the straight line. In the triangular configuration, the triangle will preferably be isosceles and the handle connected to an apex of the triangle opposite the straight line at an angle bisecting the apex. Preferably, the apex will be substantially a right angle.
Preferably, the handle includes a first segment with one end connected to the member and extending upwardly therefrom to another end at a first angle relative to the plane of the geometric area and a second segment connected at one end to the other end of the first segment and extending at a second angle relative to the plane. This positions the grip of the handle to facilitate the downward pressure on the member and the simultaneous guiding motion of the member. In one variation, the handle has a fork at one end with one prong connected to the beginning point and the other prong connected to the end point of the elongated member so that pressure can be exerted at both ends of the member. The fork may also extend upwardly from the member to the handle at a first angle relative to the plane and the handle extend from the fork at a second angle relative to the plane of the geometric area for the reasons hereinbefore explained. In any case, the handle may extend forwardly or rearwardly of the geometric area, depending on whether it is desired to pull or push the bubble.
Preferably, the member and the handle will be of circular cross-section, though it could be square or of other configuration. A tubular member structure with end caps for closing the beginning and end points of the member and the handle is preferred.